" Clefairy?"

" Pi Pikachu!!"

" Odd?"

" Saur! Bulbasaur!"

I groaned and opened an eye to see four of my pokemon surrounding me, each looking at me expectantly.

" Good morning to you too." I mumbled, stretching in the blanket. " What are we up to today?"

" Pigeotto!" I heard from outside.

" Huh?" I crawled out of my bag and peeked outside.

A pigeotto.

I grinned. " Great! Pikachu?"

" Piiiika.... CHUUUUUUUUU!"

Pigeotto was hit right on the chest, and it crumpled to the ground, defeated.

" Pokeball, goooooo!" I called, throwing it at the Pigeotto.

It blipped once.... Twice....

Green

I caught a Pigeotto.

" Yeaaaaaaaah!" I yelled, holding the Pokeball to the sun. " I caught a Pigeotto!"

" Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu did a victory sign.

I gasped. " Amazing, Pikachu! You're so smart! Come on, let's go explore the world!"

" Saur, Bulbasaur!"

" Come on guys let's go!" I called as Pikachu and Bulbasaur lagged behind me. " Come on, guys! We have to hurry!"

" Saur. Bulbasaur."

" Pi Pikachu!"

I sighed. " Fine. But don't blame me I- WOAH!"

I didn't realize it, but I had almost walked off a cliff.

Luckily Bulbasaur managed to catch me using vine whip. I sighed in relief. " Oh thank goodness."

" Saur."

I laughed and nodded. " I know, Bulbasaur I know."

" Ke ke!"

I turned to see a Mankhey standing in front of me, challenging. I could see my Pokemon tense up, and I took a Pokeball out.

" Poke ba-"

Someone grabbed my hand

" What do you think you're doing?!*

" Catching a pokemon?" I replied.

" You don't catch em like that!"

I blinked. " Really?!"

Gary nodded. " Yeah! Battle it!*

I smirked.

" Pikachu?"

" Piika.... CHUUUUU!"

Pikachu’s Thunderbolt hit the Mankey square on, sending it tumbling back into the grass. I quickly grabbed an empty Pokeball and threw it with all the enthusiasm of someone who had clearly done this before.

"Pokeball, goooooo!" I shouted.

The ball hit the Mankey, opening and sucking it inside. It wobbled once... twice... then clicked shut.

I grinned. "Yes! I caught a Mankey!"

Gary groaned, his palm meeting his face. "Seriously?!"

Blue came jogging up, out of breath but somehow still managing to look like he wasn’t breaking a sweat. He took one look at me, the Pokeball in my hand, and frowned. "How long have you been catching Pokémon like that?"

I blinked, confused by the question. "Uh... like what? Throwing a Pokeball? Why?"

Blue pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply, like he was dealing with an especially slow student. "You mean just throwing it? Is that how you’ve been catching Pokémon this entire time?"

I tilted my head, still clutching the Pokeball. "Yeah? Why? Is there another way?"

Gary and Blue exchanged a look, one that was somewhere between disbelief and exasperation. Blue finally turned back to me, his tone dripping with incredulity. "Grandpa didn’t tell you anything, did he?"

I crossed my arms, feeling a little defensive. "He told me plenty! He gave me a Pokédex, Pokeballs, and a Pikachu. What more was I supposed to know?"

Blue groaned again, pacing a little as if trying to figure out how best to explain this to someone who apparently skipped Pokémon 101. "You’re supposed to battle the Pokémon first! Weaken them! Build a connection! You don’t just throw a Pokeball and hope for the best!"

"But it worked!" I argued, holding up the Pokeball triumphantly. "I caught it, didn’t I?"

Gary snorted, clearly enjoying this too much. "You’ve just been lucky so far. Try doing that with something stronger, and see how far it gets you."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, Mr. Pokémon Expert. What do you suggest I do next time?"

Blue stopped pacing and pointed at Pikachu. "Use your Pokémon to battle. Weaken the wild Pokémon enough that they’re ready to be caught. It’s not just about catching them; it’s about building trust and proving you’re a trainer worth following."

I huffed, glancing down at Pikachu, who was looking up at me with a slightly amused expression. "Well, okay, next time I’ll do it your way. But for now..." I held up the Pokeball again. "I caught a Mankey, so I think I did just fine!"

Blue threw his hands in the air. "Unbelievable. Grandpa’s going to hear about this."

Gary laughed, clapping Blue on the back. "Let her have this one. She’ll learn eventually."

I stuck my tongue out at them. "I’m doing just fine, thank you very much. Come on, Pikachu, Bulbasaur. Let’s find something else to catch!"

"Pi Pikachu!"

"Bulbasaur!"

As I marched off with my Pokémon in tow, I could still hear Blue muttering something about how I was the most reckless trainer he’d ever seen. But I didn’t care. I was on an adventure, and nothing was going to stop me!

Nothing, maybe....

Except a sprained leg.

And hurt Pokemon.

" What happened?!" Joy asked as I ran to the front desk.

" There was this huge monster in the forest, HUGE! Next thing I know my pokemon are injured."

Joy nodded. " We'll get them just fine. For now, take a break."

I nodded gratefully. " Thanks."

I walked to a chair, sat down, and lifted my pant.

Red.

It was all red.

As I sat there, trying to ignore the sharp pain in my leg, Gary and Blue approached me, their expressions full of concern. Blue crossed his arms, looking frustrated. "Seriously, Mimi, you can't just walk around with an injury like that. You’re gonna make it worse."

Gary, on the other hand, had a more cautious tone. "He’s right. You need to let Nurse Joy take a look at it before you end up making things a lot worse for yourself."

I groaned, leaning back in my chair. "I’m fine, really. I’ve had worse scrapes before. It’s just a scratch."

But as I tried to stand up, I immediately felt a sharp sting in my leg, and I stumbled, almost falling over.

Gary’s eyes widened. "You really need to see Nurse Joy. Come on, Mimi, you’re being stubborn."

I sighed and slumped back down. "Fine, fine. I’ll let her see it, but just the leg, okay? And don’t make a big deal out of it."

Just as I was about to call Nurse Joy over, the emergency room doors swung open, and Pikachu and Bulbasaur trotted out, both looking healthy and happy.

"Pikachu!" I grinned, immediately standing up despite my leg, and rushed to scoop her up in my arms. "You’re okay!" I hugged her tightly, then turned to Bulbasaur. "And you, too! You’re both okay!"

Bulbasaur gave a happy grunt, and Pikachu squeaked in excitement, nuzzling my cheek. I could feel the relief washing over me. Everything was going to be okay.

"Okay, off we go!" I said, giving them both a determined grin. "We’ve got an adventure to finish!"

Blue raised an eyebrow. "You’re seriously going to leave with that leg still hurt?"

I smiled sheepishly, trying to ignore the nagging pain that was slowly becoming more noticeable. "I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me."

But as I turned to leave, I noticed something I hadn’t quite realized before: my leg was leaving a small trail of blood behind me, staining the floor. My face paled.

"Oh no..." I muttered, quickly glancing back at Nurse Joy, who was staring in disbelief at the trail I was leaving.

Gary was shaking his head. "I swear, you're impossible."

I waved it off. "Okay, nice seeing you, Nurse Joy, but I really have to go now! Byeee!" I said, trying to shuffle away quickly without drawing any more attention.

"Seriously?!" Blue yelled as I hobbled away, Pikachu and Bulbasaur trotting along beside me. "You’re not going anywhere until you get that leg treated properly!"

I shot him a wink. "I’ll be fine. A little blood never hurt anyone." I winced slightly as I walked faster, trying to ignore the pain, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might be in over my head.

As I pushed through the door and into the fresh air, I tried to act like I wasn’t in agony. "Come on, Pikachu! Bulbasaur! We’re still going to find more Pokémon!"

Pikachu and Bulbasaur both gave me a concerned look, but I smiled at them, trying to stay optimistic. "It’s gonna be fine," I whispered. "Just one more adventure."

As I limped along, trying to ignore the increasingly sharp pain in my leg, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. It wasn’t like me to be slowed down, but this leg was making it impossible to move at my usual pace. I took another step, wincing as my foot hit the ground, and then—*bam!*—I collided with something—or rather, someone.

"Oof!" I stumbled back, barely catching myself on a nearby rock. "Sorry!"

Looking up, I saw Kenny, his eyes wide in surprise. "Mimi?" he blinked, tilting his head. "What are you doing out here looking like... that?"

I glanced down at my leg, which was still leaving a faint trail of blood behind me, and then back at him with a sheepish grin. "Well, you know, just the usual... walking... adventuring... trying to find some Pokémon..." I gave him an awkward shrug.

Kenny raised an eyebrow. "I can see that. But, uh, you’re clearly hurt. What’s going on?"

I sighed, trying to act like I wasn’t in excruciating pain. "It’s nothing. Just a scratch. I’m fine."

"Uh-huh," he said, not buying it. "You sure you’re okay? You don’t look fine."

I straightened up, attempting to stand tall, but it was hard to ignore the discomfort creeping up on me. "I’m just fine. Really, Kenny. I’ve dealt with worse."

Pikachu and Bulbasaur had caught up, standing close by, their eyes full of concern as they looked at me. I could see them sensing my pain, but I waved them off, trying to reassure both myself and them. "See? Everything's fine. I’ll be good as new in no time."

Kenny didn’t look convinced. "Mimi, you’re really not convincing me right now."

I chuckled weakly, trying to put on a brave face. "I’m tough, remember?"

He didn’t respond right away, just stared at me for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, well... if you’re gonna be stubborn about it, at least let me help you get somewhere safe. I don’t want you to pass out from blood loss or something."

I was about to protest, but the look on his face told me he wasn’t about to back down. With a sigh, I nodded, realizing he was right. "Fine, you win. Lead the way, Kenny."

He grinned, his usual playful attitude returning. "That’s what I thought."

As Kenny helped guide me forward, I couldn’t help but glance back at my Pokémon. They were still trotting along beside me, and I felt a twinge of guilt for not being strong enough to push through on my own. But with Kenny's support and my Pokémon's encouragement, I couldn’t help but feel a little better. Maybe I wasn’t as alone as I sometimes felt in this adventure after all.

We made our way over to a nearby rock, where Kenny motioned for me to sit down. I winced as I lowered myself, feeling the sharp pain in my leg flare up again. Kenny, as usual, seemed unfazed by my discomfort as he dug around in his bag for something.

“You really need to carry medication for yourself,” Kenny said, his voice sounding both concerned and a little scolding as he pulled out some bandages and antiseptic.

“I’m fine,” I mumbled, trying to avoid his gaze. “I didn’t think I’d need it.” I gave a weak laugh, but it was obvious that my leg was far from fine. I could already feel the blood soaking through the makeshift cloth I’d wrapped around it earlier.

Kenny sighed and knelt down beside me, gently pulling the fabric away from my leg to inspect the wound. "Mimi, you’re not invincible, you know. You might think you can handle everything, but sometimes, you really need to plan ahead." He carefully cleaned the cut with antiseptic, and I winced as the stinging sensation spread across my leg.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I said, trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal. "It’s just a scratch."

"Not a scratch, Mimi," Kenny replied, his voice firm. "If you don’t take care of yourself now, it could get infected or worse. You can’t just keep going like this."

I looked over at him, feeling a bit guilty. He wasn’t wrong. If I had taken a moment to think ahead, I probably would’ve packed a first aid kit or some sort of healing supplies. But I’d been too caught up in my adventure, too focused on my goal, to worry about something like this.

“You’re right,” I admitted, finally. "I should’ve thought about this earlier."

Kenny finished bandaging my leg, making sure it was tightly wrapped. He gave me a small smile. “It’s alright, Mimi. It’s just a lesson learned. But you really need to be more prepared next time, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” I said, nodding sheepishly. “Thanks for helping me out, Kenny. I guess I really *do* need to start taking better care of myself.”

He shrugged, his usual playful grin returning. “Hey, that’s what friends are for. Now, let’s get you moving again. We’ve got a world to explore, right?”

I chuckled, the tension easing from my shoulders. "Right. And I’m not gonna let a little thing like a scraped leg slow me down."

Kenny laughed and helped me to my feet, steadying me as I tested my weight on the leg. The pain was still there, but at least it felt more manageable now. “Just take it easy, alright? You might be tough, but even tough trainers need a break sometimes.”

“Fine,” I grumbled, though I knew he was right. “But we’re not stopping the adventure for long.”

“Of course not,” Kenny said, giving me a thumbs up. "Let’s keep going, but this time, let’s be a little smarter about it, alright?"

I nodded, feeling a little more confident now. "Deal."